I have had several readers asking why I would mention soaking flour before cooking muffins. I guess maybe I should clarify why I believe in soaking your grains before you cook with them. One very good book that explains this in more detail is Nourishing Traditions by Sallon Fallon. Basically by soaking your flour, oatmeal, or any other grain you are breaking down the phytates and making it more digestible as well as helping your body to use the nutrients in the grain better. Most grains need to be soaked overnight using either buttermilk, kefir, yogurt, or lemon juice. Grains should be soaked at room temperature on the counter. It takes a little more effort to remember to do this ahead of time, but it is so much better for you nutrition wise. If you are interested in a really great article that explains soaking grains better then I can I would encourage you to visit Passionate Homemaking. Lindsay does an excellent job of giving you the why and how to soaking grains. Her site is full of frugal ways to live a more natural life.
I had a reader ask me if it is ok to print your internet coupons with black and white ink to save money or will the stores only accept color copies?I thought this was a great question and I am sure that there are others who have wondered the same thing. I am happy to say that YES you can use black and white ink. I have never had a problem with a store not taking one of my coupons because it was not in color. I have had them reject them for other reasons though. You do need to make sure that you have a good quality copy otherwise the bar code may not scan. Don't forget that on most bricks coupons you can often print 2 copies. Once you see the thank you for printing our coupon page don't close that window. Wait until your first copy is finished then you should be able to hit your back button a couple of times and get a second copy. The bricks system will not allow more then that. To gain access to more of the same coupons you can always see if someone will let you use their computer and printer. This is worth it if the coupon is a high dollar one.
I thought I would share these questions with everyone because I am sure that there are others who are wondering the same thing.Reader Lisa asked,"I wonder is it ever too late to become a SAHM?" and "Is it possible to give up high paying job and live on a teacher's salary?"
I think it is NEVER too late to become a SAHM. Our children need us no matter what their age. I am sure that you would love to be able to go on field trip, games, and other events with your children during their school age years and not have to worry about taking time off of work. I would refer you to Titus 2. I am sure many of you have already read it, but it only confirms that the Lord meant for the wife to be at home taking care of her family.
I know that many woman worry about the loss of income that would come with them quitting their job. I would advise you to take it to the Lord in prayer and trust him to take care of your finances. He has said that he will provide for all of our needs.
I can understand how busy a mom gets with her job and taking care of a family. My mother is the Facility Administrator for 3-4 dialysis units in our city. She is in her 60s and has know idea when she will be able to retire. She is stressed and tired. At her age this should not be the case. I heard a preacher say once that husbands should do everything they can to support their wives being at home because asking her to work and take care of a household is literally slowly killing her due to increased stress and lack of rest. I realize that there are circumstances when a wife must work or her husband is not supportive of her decision. This is when I would again recommend prayer. Ask the Lord to soften your spouses heart. He sure did a number on my husband.
As to the question of being able to make it on a teacher's salary I can say first hand that YES you can. My husband is a teacher at a technical college. We are able to take care of our monthly bills and still have some money left for paying down debt.
The way we are able to do that is by the choices we make. Often times we are asked to go out to dinner or on vacation and we have to say no. We are sometimes looked down on, but we know that 10 years down the road we will be debt free, car payment free, and mortgage free, and our friends will still be in the same place they were.
In conclusion, remember that you can fulfill your dream of becoming a SAHM at any stage of you life and you can learn to live on one income. It is all a matter of where your priorities are. When your children are on their own are they going to remember the "stuff" you bought them or the quality time you spent with them.
I would love to hear back from you. Let me know how things are going on your journey. No matter what choice you make you have to do what is right for you and your family. Remember to take it to the Lord in prayer. He knows your heart.
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